AMA Pro Racing continues to show that it’s homolo-flexible when it comes to supersport regulations, as America’s premier road racing series has homologated the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R and its 636cc engine displacement to compete in the supersport class (the new ZX-6R is also homologated for the Daytona Sport Bike class as well).

“Kawasaki has a strong racing heritage,” said Kawasaki Racing Senior Manager Reid Nordin. “Our Ninja brand is synonymous with success on the track. When we brought back the 636cc engine we knew there would be interest in racing and we have taken the steps necessary to have the new Ninja ZX-6R on the track and out front in 2013.”

The last time Kawasaki stroked-out its 599cc inline-four power plant to 636cc, the Japanese manufacturer had to offer a race-oriented 599cc Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6RR model for racing use, as the street bike would not meet the racing requirements for Supersport classes in various local markets.

For 2013 however, it seems to be AMA Pro Road Racing that is making the concessions, and will allow Kawasaki to campaign its ZX-6R against other inline-four manufacturers, who won’t get the extra 37cc advantage.

This isn’t the first time that AMA Pro Road Racing has made obvious concessions to benefit a single manufacturer — but hey, at least it’s not like the AMA homologated something ridiculous like an Aprilia RSV4 for the Supersport class, right?

When will the AMA Pro Racing group get their heads out of their Nascar asses and right the ship?!

76

?, really such BS… Does that mean we can all throw a 3 or 4mm overbore on all inline4 600’s? Such BS, destroying the 600 class is all this is doing, then what? Superbike is already broken…AMA is a fcking joke, I hate to say it but it should die. Fck kawasaki for doing the displacement in the first place and trying to race it….

realist

The AMA has always been a few top level corrupt idiots in control since the inception.

That’s ridiculous 4 cylinder engines should all be 600cc, triples a maximum of 700cc, and twins 800cc in a supersport class. Ducati was allowed 848 but with restrictors and 25 lbs.. Not mad at Kawi but all year long all the other teams will bitch and complain.. Cut a cylinder off and run a 700cc and make it real interesting fair and square..

Or they could just run to FIM WSB/WSS rules. Or use those basic rules while adding extensions/restrictions the way that BSB/BSS and the European championships do. What exactly is wrong with 600-4,675-3, 750-2 ?

Meanwhile, a 599cc Kawasaki won the first WSS race of the year. Did anything actually need to change?

Jim

Guys, seriously its 36 cc, less then a typical whipper snipper, and I’ll bet the HP reading are the same as any of the other AMA bikes. I race honda and welcome the 636, bring it on, I’m not gonna whinge and cry that there’s a competent bike out there that just might beat me if ridden well. I’m used to racing in classes with multiple types of bikes and the outcome really doesn’t have as much to do with the machine as your ego’s think.

“Do you want cries with that?’

joeD

AMA/DMG racing lost my respect years ago.

Diesel

You guys complain too much. You sound like a bunch of old women.

R Stie

That’s idiotic

Keith

sheesh, the france family screws with nascrap all the time…what makes you think that under the guise of DMG they aren’t going to screw up a superior racing series also? Not that it matters, the stuck up jackanapes have effectivly removed AMA racing from televison thus getting nascrap more screen time. meh, a pox on DMG and I hope they go bankrupt.

Chaz Michael Michaels

Let the good times roll!

John

Jensen, can you confirm that the new ZX-6R is explicitly homologated *without* any restrictor or weight penalties?

MikeD

@Diesel & Jim:

LMAO. Personally, i think is nothing to make a fuss about but good enough for the other OEMs to start complaining and bitching.

Brian

A 36cc jump in displacement is 6% over everyone else’s 600cc engine. Assuming 120HP (very reasonable figure for these bikes) for the true 600s, The Kawasaki basically gets an extra 7.2HP for free. If you’ve never raced at the AMA level I promise an extra 7.2HP would make a substantial difference.

proudAmerican

AMA racing has been a joke for years, and this doesn’t help. Have you seen the fan turn-out at an AMA race?–nobody in the stands, and maybe a few hundred people lining the walls next to their motorhomes and travel trailers.

For those asking, the only caveat that AMA Pro Road Racing makes in its rulebook for the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is a 375 lbs minimum weight.

Richard Gozinya

Would make it more interesting if they limited all the engines to 120 hp, and removed the minimum weight. If they’re going to come up with stupid homologation rules, at least make things interesting. Who cares about number of cylinders and displacement? It’d be way more interesting if someone took a Wankel rotary engine, which is quite light, and stuck it in a titanium frame, or perhaps a fuel in frame set up. The Norton 588 makes 170hp, so you could go a bit smaller and lighter with the engine to make 120.

Do that for a few years, and see how much different motorcycle design becomes.

As long as there’s a weight penalty it should be ok.. Biggest difference is the smoother torque the additional 36cc will give. But if Kawi wins a couple of races everybody will complain……

Craig

There is a penalty everyone… this story didn’t really do justice with the details, but the DUCK 848 is severely penalized at 375 pounds and restrictors… It’s why they don’t do well as well as quick handling of the 600’s.

The new 636 will have the same weight penalty of the 675’s at 20 lbs…

They penalized the Vtwin Aprilia’s so hard that not even Chaz Davies could podium that beast…

I think the 600’s will still do the thing… 675’s close and we’ll see about that 636… ummmmm

I think the majority rules here, Kawi has a 636 to sell street bikes, the AMA needs Kawi because their grasping at shreds of their former slightly more appealing existence and the AMA needs all the $$$ they can get their mits on… None of us can watch any fcking racing at decent times on nascrap tv…. It’s a fcking shame.. Motorcycle road racing is affectivly dead in the US compared to the UK, the general public here wouldn’t know a riders name if they heard it…. Have any of you ordered a AMA season review lately? I did a couple years ago and it totally sucked… I’m on a rant…..

Are we going to see the return of the 650cc motorcycle for the street as well as racing? Old-school :)

Stroked engines are always better for street riding, better torque and low RPM performance particularly in-line four bangers and V4 plants. In general they tend to make more overall peak and across the rev range horsepower. Lower octane fuel required and less timing advance in race applications.

“Are we going to see the return of the 650cc motorcycle for the street as well as racing? Old-school :)”

One can only hope, Aaron. One can only hope. :)

sunstroke

Do people really not understand that everything in Supersport and DSB is performance balanced? If you guys want to complain, you should at least learn how to hate on DMG.

Honda and Kawasaki left b/c they ruined Supersport and DSB is performance balanced. They have no SBK-style rules for 600cc competition so they bailed.

76

Oh yeah, please fill me in on this performance balance? So the Honda CBR600 thats down on HP in SS by more than 10hp gets what? Oh thats right they get to race with 10 less hp… Such blanket statements reflect the same myopic perspective ass AMA & their rules to make the sport “Cheaper”

buellracerx

Really, 37 additional cc’s, eh? What is the difference in volumetric efficiency? How about bsfc? Displacement is a number, not the ONLY variable driving power. I mean seriously guys, close this web page and pick up a book..

Turning around a racing series and rebuilding public confidence is not an easy task, but the fine men and women working hard at those AMA rounds are trying. Disappointing to see people hating on their efforts without really understanding much about the complex machine that is a racing series.